PorticoCheck this house

England · one house · £49

Prepare an HMO or selective licence for one house.

The national HMO rule can be read from who lives there. A council’s additional or selective scheme cannot. Portico separates the two, then builds a pack from your own answers for the form you send the council.

Check this houseRead a sample pack
  • £49 once.
  • You apply yourself.
  • Blanks stay blank.
Portico
Licence preparation pack
Reference
P-SAMPLE
Date
8 November 2026

Specimen · fictional property and answers

14 Specimen Street, Leeds, LS1 4DY

Council
Leeds City Council
Region
Yorkshire and The Humber
Occupiers
5 people, 5 households
Shared
Kitchen, bathroom, toilet

1 · Result

A mandatory HMO licence applies.

Five or more people in two or more households, sharing facilities. This applies anywhere in England and does not depend on storeys. Apply on the council’s form and pay the council’s fee.

2 · Rooms

RoomUseFloor areaPeopleResult
Room 1Bedroom8.4 m²1 over 10Suitable for one person over 10
Room 2Bedroom6.2 m²1 over 10Short of 6.51 m² for one person over 10
Room 3Bedroom11.4 m²2 over 10Suitable for two people over 10
Room 4Bedroom4.2 m²1 over 10Under 4.64 m². Not usable as a bedroom

Minimums for HMO licences in England. Floor under 1.5 m not counted. Councils can require more. A room that meets a minimum is not an approval.

3 · Management

Gas safety
Annual Gas Safe check. Last record 3 March 2026, copy held for tenants.
Electrical safety
EICR dated 14 January 2026, satisfactory. Next due January 2031.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Tested at the start of each tenancy and quarterly. Log kept.
Repairs and contact
Managing agent, 0113 000 0000. Emergency repairs answered within 24 hours.
Tenancy terms
Written statement of terms issued to each occupier on move-in.
Household waste
Open: no answer given. Complete before you submit.

4 · Fit and proper: questions on the council form

Questions only. Portico does not declare anyone fit and proper and issues no certificate.

  1. Any unspent convictions for fraud, violence, drugs or sexual offences?
  2. Any finding of unlawful discrimination in connection with a business?
  3. Any breach of housing or landlord and tenant law?
  4. Any banning order, or entry on the database of rogue landlords?
Preparation only. The council decides. Not a fire assessment.P-SAMPLE · 1 of 1

Three steps, then the council.

  1. 01

    Who lives there

    A postcode, the households, and whether they share a kitchen or bathroom.

  2. 02

    The national rule, stated

    Mandatory HMO licensing is the same everywhere in England. A local scheme is not, and the result says so.

  3. 03

    A pack you can work from

    Room sizes, papers, and management wording. Empty answers stay blank.

  4. →

    The council

    You fill in their form, pay their fee, and they decide.

The price

One property.£49

Card payment. A private link back to the pack. No subscription.

Questions worth answering first.

Is this the licence application?
No. Every council has its own form and its own fee. The pack is what you work from while you fill that form in.
Will it tell me I do not need a licence?
It will say when the national mandatory rule applies, and when a resident-landlord exemption may apply. Additional and selective schemes depend on a council map. The result tells you to check that map rather than inventing a yes or a no.
Which room sizes do you use?
For HMO licences in England: 4.64 m² for one child under 10, 6.51 m² for one person over 10, and 10.22 m² for two people over 10. Floor under 1.5 metres does not count. Councils can require more. These minimums are not applied to a selective-only result.
Do you cover Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland?
No. The pack is for England. A postcode outside England stops the check.

What this will not do.

  1. 1. Not the council’s form. You still apply on their website and pay their fee.
  2. 2. Not a fire assessment. Alarm design and fire strategy stay with a competent person.
  3. 3. Not a grant of a licence. The council decides. Meeting a minimum is not an approval.